


Down the Theater Steps

by antidons (Pogniscrow)



Series: Tales of Spring [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Acrylic Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Basketball Player Mark Lee (NCT), M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Theater Kid! Donghyuck, Theater Kid! Jaemin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22115740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pogniscrow/pseuds/antidons
Summary: Lee Donghyuck, then a member of the theater club and a victim of Jung Jaehyun’s twisted charm, first meets Mark Lee, then co-captain of the basketball team and a person who has no business fumbling down the theater steps, when Mark Lee fumbles down the theater steps.This is their story.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: Tales of Spring [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591867
Comments: 11
Kudos: 70





	Down the Theater Steps

**Author's Note:**

> The story takes place well before the events of White Acrylic, so you do not have to read that to understand the events here.

He broke his heart in the beginning of spring.

Jung Jaehyun, with his voice and eyes so earnest despite the words that come out of his mouth. His hands still so inviting despite its rejection. Yet, despite the treacherous deed, his first love remains a fond memory. Now, the sweetest heartbreak.

“Still so perfect,” Donghyuck says to himself as he tries to keep himself from crying. He’s exhausted from trying to hold everything all the goddamn time. He promised himself he wouldn’t shed a tear for a boy, let alone a senior who had never shown him any interest beyond a friendly smile and who also happens to be the outgoing president of the theater club you’ve been in since freshmen year. But Jung Jaehyun is special, in his ever-graceful way of breaking you. So tears spill hot, gushing--violent. He weeps silently at the bottom of the theater steps, his head cradled in his hands, eyes violent red.

A crack and a loud ‘ah fuck’ breaks the silence. Dongyuck turns around at the source of the of the intrusion. To his surprise, there, in a small heap on the floor is basketball ace and Mr Congeniality #2 Mark Lee.

They catch each other’s gaze. Mark with wide eyes and a mix of shock and guilt on his face. Donghyuck with tears, painful ones, falling down his face. A moment passes in which they just regard each other in the quiet of the empty theater surrounded by chairs rickety with age and a fine haze of dust illuminated by the few spotlights from the balcony.

“Get out.”

That’s how Lee Donghyuck, then a member of the theater club and a victim of Jung Jaehyun’s twisted charm, first meets Mark Lee, then co-captain of the basketball team and a person who has no business fumbling down the theater steps

This is their story.

\--

For the better portion of Donghyuck’s high school life, Mark Lee was one of the passing figures in the stream of middling bodies that flowed through campus. Donghyuck had always been obtusely aware of who _he_ was, but his presence never demanded his attention. From what he knows. It was Mark Lee, basketball dude who migrated from Canada and friend to everyone that moved. For the longest time, Mark Lee was just ‘Canada’ to Donghyuck. Another one of the people that seemed like a big deal to everyone, but never really left an impression on him. However, fate did like messing with your life in the most unfortunate ways.

In the span of minutes, Mark Lee manages to usurp his standing as perpetual nobody existing only in Donghyuck’s peripheral, to this wholly significant actor in Donghyuck’s poorly produced tragedy.

Days after the incident Donghyuck avoids him and hopes that Mark’s standing as second friendliest person on campus, would also translate into keeping stranger’s secrets. For the first few days, Donghyuck assumes that everything would remain status quo by the fact that Mark Lee did not seem to give credence to the little scene he served audience to a few days prior. Yet Donghyuck felt a gnawing heaviness nipping at him, an ominous premonition that he is tempting fate putting such blind faith on Mark’s acclaim.

As much as he wanted to keep it a secret, getting rejected stings like a bitch. Having Mark just ignore this fact, even for just a few days, while Donghyuck tried to make ends of his current emotional and social predicament is a gesture he will all but accept. He needed to heal by himself, and the more time Mark afforded him, the better. Donghyuck even had the most absurd of hopes that Mark would be on the receiving end of a not so fatal accident that would render the memories associated with Donghyuck obsolete. Maybe, he can forget about Donghyuck altogether.

However, fate does not favor the seemingly indifferent. And as all tales of reluctant protagonists go, the great propellant that would instigate the great big journey would be circumstance—an inescapable twist of fate. This twist beginning with the literal tumbling of Mark Lee into Donghyuck’s life—like god’s sad attempt at slapstick humor. The premise had been set, the actors placed, and the first act about to begin. And much like the preamble, this scene starts with Mark doing something incredibly stupid.

Being alone in the theater is normal for Donghyuck. As someone who bounces around set production and stage management, visualizing how things form onstage has always been a primary requirement to understand. As someone who likes working alone, he required his planning to be done in solitude. Permission to work alone in the theater is something of a luxury, since this translated to lights and air-conditioning, but Donghyuck has proven himself more than worthy of such a lofty privilege, especially under Jaehyun’s tenure. The current president of the theater club even

Finding him here alone is not a foreign sight by any means, but only theater kids come here.

Donghyuck is sketching the stage set for their interpretation of ‘Waiting for Godot.’ He doesn’t quite understand Jaemin’s whims to get such a deeply philosophical and not-friendly-for-high-school-students-play for their next production, much more Jaehyun’s swift approval of such a no audience impact play. But Donghyuck doesn’t complain, audience reception is not his concern anyway. He just needs to get the technical stuff as pristine as he can, the rest is up to Jaemin and the actors who had the misfortune of getting casted into the single most infuriating play ever conceived.

“Do you want to talk about it? The whole Jaehyun thing,” a voice asks into the empty space. Donghyuck recognizes the timbre in his voice, the soft, too friendly ring with the dregs of what he thinks is concern.

“When I told you to get out last time, I meant it both literally and figuratively.”

Contrite and vapid, just how Donghyuck liked it. He hopes that this is enough to get Mark out of his hair, but--

“Dude, that’s harsh,” Mark says with little to no venom in his voice. Donghyuck is still not facing him, but there’s something odd and disconcerting about his presence in the theater.

“You’re not as eloquent as I thought you were,” Donghyuck says standing up and fixing his sketches, still not minding Mark’s presence behind him.

“Eloquent? Never knew I looked fancy,” he says in the most genuine of astonishment that Donghyuck has to stop scrunch his eyebrows at Mark’s eased nonchalance. He turns and finds Mark dressed in his maroon jacket basketball jacket, ripped jeans and a pair of round glasses.

“Are those decorative?” Donghyuck says looking straight at the pair of specs settled on Mark’s nose.

Mark looks at him dumbfounded, “My glasses?”

“Yes, is that some fashion statement I’m not aware of?” He moves his head to see if the glare of the lights reflects off what is hopefully a lens.

Mark, if it’s possible, starts to look more confused than he did just a few moments before.

“I’ve had these since I was 12,” he says.

And, as if to prove his point, he takes them off and shows the piece of tissue wrapped tightly on the tips of the temples.

In his mind’s eyes, Mark had 20/20 vision. In the image Donghyuck had created of Mark Lee, he had perfect vision and could read things from 20 meters away. He also didn’t look as dorky or as confused. Yet, here he is, standing like someone stole his care bare.

“I didn’t notice.”

“It’s hard to get your attention,” Mark says, “I’ve been trying to talk to you for a few days now. You don’t like talking to people.”

Donghyuck takes a pause and looks at the other boy in the room. He looks shy for someone attempting to blackmail him.

“I don’t like giving people attention,” he replies, taking his eyes off Mark and looking back at his sketches.

“Why?”

Donghyuck stops trying to fiddle with his sketches. He can’t concentrate with an entire Mark Lee breathing down his neck.

“It saves me the trouble of telling them to fuck off,” is his stinging reply.

When he turns to Mark he expects him to back down, to take offense, to get mad, or something to that extent. Yet, Mark does nothing of the sort. Instead, he looks at Donghyuck with an indiscernible expression.

“I just wanted to check if you were okay. I didn’t mean to offend.”

It catches him off guard, the sincerity. The genuine concern that he would never expect from the likes of jock Mark Lee, but he steels himself. He wouldn’t be so easily swayed.

“Well, I am. You can go fuck off now.”

Donghyuck takes a deep breath and hopes to god that Mark Lee gets the message. That he can read along the lines of ‘fuck off’ as a clear and concise sign to leave him alone. Yet, Mark does what he hopes not do, that is to ignores the lines altogether.

There’s no discrete rummaging or sounds of fading footsteps. No curses flung back or deep sigh of resignation. No retaliation, no negative reaction. Only silent persistence.

“You’re not.”

It’s the most decisive he’s sounded this entire conversation he’s had with Donghyuck’s back.

“You may not pay attention to me, but I’ve been paying attention to you.”

Donghyuck looks back.

Then Mark curses.

“That sounded wrong.”

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow at him in question. The seriousness that painted Mark’s words were gone. Replaced by the voice of a boy who seems to fuck up a lot.

“I’m sorry I’m not good with words.”

“Yes, that’s why I send you weren’t eloquent.”

Mark squints at him, “You weren’t calling me fancy?”

Donghyuck didn’t think Mark would be this bad at basic vocabulary.

“I think the word you’re looking for is elegant.”

“Oh. What does eloquent mean?”

“Mark Lee, you’re going off tangent.”

Mark squints back at him, “I’m what now? Are you insulting me again?”

“No. If I would insult you, I’d use words you would comprehend.”

“I don’t know if I should feel bad or flattered at that statement.”

“Take it at face value.”

“Sure,” Mark says with slight confusion that translates to Mark not getting what Donghyuck means at all.

Donghyuck waits for Mark to continue, but the lack of words that greet him tells him that Mark has seemingly forgotten everything they were talking about in the first place.

“Mark Lee, you were saying?” Donghyuck prods.

Mark, as if waking up from a trance looks at Donghyuck again, “What was I saying?”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

“Hey, don’t roll your eyes at me, you started insulting me out of nowhere.”

Donghyuck starts massaging his temple in frustration.

“Mark Lee, for the second time I was not insulting you.”

“Sorry. But what was I saying?”

“Something along the lines of you’ve been paying attention to me,” Donghyuck says crossing his arms and leaning his weight on the table.

Mark blushes and scratches the back of his neck in response.

“Oh right, well I’ve been trying to talk to you,” Mark begins, “but you don’t really pay attention, so I end up watching you sometimes.”

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow in suspicion.

“I know it sounds stalker-ish, but you really don’t make it easy for anyone,” Mark immediately follows with a little flail of his hands like he’s trying to swat a fly in the air.

“And from what I’ve seen you’re not okay.”

Donghyuck doesn’t know what Mark expects him to say. He’s still trying to process that Mark Lee had been able to crack through his carefully designed indifference.

“Who are you to judge if I’m okay or not,” Donghyuck says trying his best to hide his reaction.

Mark shakes his head, “I know it’s not my place, but you just seem so down. Like you’re concentrating on something and nothing at the same time.”

“Well, that was then. Now I’m okay,” Donghyuck says facing away from Mark again.

“I totally get not talking about all your feelings. Believe me, I know.”

Donghyuck feels something in him lurch. Hot and boiling rising to the surface at a pace he could not follow.

“You do not know,” he grumbles.

How can Mark know how it feels to have your heart ripped to shreds and spat back at you? How does Mark know how he feels? Mark doesn’t know who he is, let alone his emotions.

“You do not know anything, Mark Lee.”

He doesn’t look at Mark, but he knows that lack of response means that Mark has backed off.

“I’m sorry,” he says almost in a whisper, “I’m not good with words, I just thought—”

“You thought wrong, Mark Lee.”

Donghyuck hears the resignation of Mark Lee. The soft departure of a boy who knew when he was beaten. The footsteps grow faint as the intruder of Donghyuck’s silence exits stage right.

“Donghyuck, I really hope you’re okay. Honestly, I do,” are Mark’s final words before the doors close and he is alone again. Alone to stop the tears from falling again.

\--

When Jaehyun announces Donghyuck as the new president of the theater club, no one expects it. The least of which, Donghyuck himself. Everyone and their mother had pegged loud, friendly ambitious Na Jaemin with his soft hair and softer smile to claim the seat. Donghyuck was never the most popular in theater, renowned in his own way, but never one to be the center of attention--an attribute foreign to the denizens of the stage. The school had a general understanding of theater kids: they enunciated their presence with pinpoint clarity, and sung praises like bible verses for Sunday mass, they waxed poetic and demanded your consideration, as if needing to remind anyone that their home is and will always be the stage. That they were bigger, brighter and more brilliant than everything else around them. All of them were scene stealers in some way or another, that is except Lee Donghyuck.

Some people might see it as a desperate need for attention, but Dongyhuck knew that it is more than that. When you’re on the stage everything is exaggerated, everything needed to be bigger, clearer and louder. Some things just carried over into how they lived their life.

Donghyuck kept his voice soft and meek. He hides behind books, curtain calls and the wall of sound named Jaemin. He exacted a venerable distance that others regard as a cold shoulder. He does not demand for spotlights to shine on him, preferring to operate them instead. He painted with tunes soft like madrigals and a rhythm seemed distinctly his. He smiled rarely, offered compliments sparsely, and kept to his own.

That is why, when Jaehyun announces his name as president, no-one utters a word, not even Donghyuck. The voices that rumble so effortlessly in the auditorium loses its tune in chorus. Jaehyun, full dimples on display smiles at Donghyuck, a gesture that seems like a penance for breaking his heart.

Donghyuck looks at the ground and wills the tears not to fall.

When Jaemin finds him sitting alone in the empty theater he hugs him.

“Stop sulking, we’re going to make the bestest team,” he says leaning his head on Donghyuck’s shoulder.

“It should have been you.”

The boisterous kids did have a reprieve in the form of Jaemin landing vice-president. Unlike when Donghyuck is announced, people applaud and congratulate him.

Jaemin breathes deeply, “Everyone says that, but the president chose you.”

Donghyuck scoffs. No one knows of what happened between him and Jaehyun. No one except Mark. So Jaemin just thinks it’s because Jaehyun, in his benevolent rule chose the candidate that’s most appropriate for the job. But Donghyuck knew with much clarity that the smile that reached him when he caught Jaehyun’s eyes was of sheer pity.

“It just doesn’t make sense. I thought my standing at the back and never interacting with people was a clear indication that I’m not cut out for this.”

Jaemin sighs leaning his weight more into Donghyuck, arms encircling Donghyuck’s midriff.

“Jaehyun saw something in you that he didn’t see in me.”

Jaemin pauses and rests his head on Donghyuck’s shoulder, “He cares so much about the people here, he didn’t play darts and hope that the dart lands on someone competent.”

“Can you imagine if Boyoung becomes president, she’d run this shitshow to the ground.”

Donghyuck scoffs, enjoying how plush Jaemin is against his skin. Like a safety blanket against the anxieties bubbling in his chest. Ever since Jaemin sat beside him because Donghyuck had really tasty smelling kimbap when they were in nursery, Donghyuck had always thought he was warm, like the gentle embers of a waning flame.

“It will be hard to convince the other people to believe in your leadership, but we can do this. We’ll show them just how good the theater will shine under your rule.”

Donghyuck gulps as a wave of nausea wash over him. He wants to be angry at Jaehyun, at Jaemin, Mark, at anything, but he can’t. He can’t will himself to blame his current anxieties on anyone. This has always been his burden, and it will remain his burden until the next year finishes.

“Speaking of Jaehyun, he said to give you this. Told me it’s president to president business.”

Jaemin procures an envelope from his back pocket. Written on it ‘For the incoming president.’ The moment he sees the envelope written in Jaehyun’s ugly as fuck handwriting, he is overwhelmed by an ungodly cocktail of fear and yearning. It’s asking for a really bad hangover without the recompense of being drunk.

“I guess you’ll want to read that on your own, so I’ll leave you to it.”

Donghyuck doesn’t know how long he stares at it. He glides his hand over it for, waiting for a surge of courage to overwhelm him and open it. However, no superpower aids in his bout with anxiety.

After a number of hours, the letter remains sealed in Donghyuck’s bedside drawer.

\--

It’s a few days after Donghyuck’s appointment as president when Mark Lee walks back into the theater uninvited. There he finds a solitary Donghyuck staring at the lit theater stage. Donghyuck has always disliked the glare of the spotlight. It was much too bright for his liking. Too harsh for his eyes, too much for his demeanor. He liked bathing in the shadows better. People didn’t look for him when he was in the shadows. No one expected him to prove anything, he could exist peacefully in his own little corner of the world. But recent events had forced him to stand under a spotlight he never thought he’d stand under.

He thinks that maybe he should talk to Jaehyun and politely decline his appointment, but he can’t stand within ten meters of the senior without feeling the need to puke out his intestines, so he instead enjoys the silence of his shadowed presence, before the spotlight lands its awful rays on him.

“Congratulations!” Mark chirps from the top of the theater steps. It’s distant, almost echoey from where Donghyuck stands, but he already knows who it is. Only one person manages to chance upon him on the illest opportune of moments.

He doesn’t respond. Mostly because he has nothing to say that wouldn’t sound like ‘I hope the darkness can eat me whole’ so he keeps silent.

“Ah, still ignoring me,” Mark says before taking one of the rickety theater chairs and plopping on it.

“I don’t know if you’re reaction means I got the information wrong and you didn’t become president, or you dislike the idea of becoming president.”

Donghyuck doesn’t say anything. Hopes that the silence would be enough of an answer to Mark’s queries. Yet, he still hears the groaning of the chair behind him; the hinges creaking with every jitter of Mark’s body.

“I heard Jaehyun appointed you.”

Donghyuck shakes his head; of course, he knows. Why wouldn’t he? Some of the theater kids ran in one of his thirty-thousand circle of friends. At least one of them would have complained about Donghyuck being chosen by Jaehyung. Probably, Jieun. She always seemed like a bitch. Must have said some shit about him.

“I just wanted to check-in.”

It’s there again, the concern. For a moment Donghyuck believes it too.

“I’m still fine. You can go away now.”

He hears Mark sigh.

“I know Jaehyun appointed you.”

“Thanks, Mark Lee, I also know Jaehyun appointed me.”

“You’re mean.”

“And you can’t take a hint.”

Mark fumbles with his words, a string of syllables coming out of his mouth. Donghyuck turns around for a brief moment and catches Mark trying to find the appropriate words to say. His eyes are squinted as if in deep thought and his ears are glowering red in what he thinks is an embarrassment. If Donghyuck didn’t need him off his back so badly, he would even call it cute.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, y-you, well, I mean. I know that you and him kind of, you know. Yeah.”

Donghyuck turns back to the spotlight, “Use your words, Mark Lee—with complete sentences.”

Donghyuck hears the audible gulp Mark makes when he prepares to speak again.

“I know you’re convinced that you’re okay, but if you maybe aren’t actually okay, just know that you can talk to me.”

Donghyuck shakes his head, “Why do you even care Mark Lee?”

“I don’t know.”

Donghyuck laughs and looks at him. He regards Mark in his glasses and his frumpy hair and his upturned lips.

“Then stop caring. You don’t need to look out for me.”

Mark starts to speak again but retracts just as quickly. He looks like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown trying to think up of words.

Donghyuck collects his bag and starts climbing up the stairs.

“If you don’t have anything else to say, Mark Lee, I’ll advise you to leave. Unless you want to be locked inside a cold theater until dawn.”

Donghyuck passes Mark and opens the door before gesturing for him to leave.

Mark looks at Donghyuck with words caught in his throat.

“I’ll tell everybody what I saw!” he suddenly screams, “I know a lot of people, it would spread like wildfire!”

For a brief moment, Donghyuck feels everything shattering around him. His heart doesn’t just sink, it goes freefall weighed down by a ten-wheel truck. He almost feels faint.

But Mark Lee is not that type of person.

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, his face turns frantic and guilty as he jerks and does a full bow towards Donghyuck.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean that! I mean. It didn’t come out as I wanted it to! Please I’m so sorry!”

Shocked would be putting it lightly. Donghyuck doesn’t know where Mark Lee ends and the carpet begins as he molds himself into a docile creature begging for forgiveness. Though somewhat gratifying, he cannot stomach the tragic sight before him. He grabs onto Mark’s arm and hauls him to stand.

“I get it. It’s not in your constitution to do morally wrong.”

Mark flushes as he stands. Really, Mark Lee is breaking a lot of pre-held notions Donghyuck had about him.

“I didn’t think you’d be such a dork.”

“Me tripping down the steps wasn’t an indication?” Mark asks genuinely confused.

“I thought it was a fluke of your otherwise flawless veneer.”

“Ve-what? If you keep using fancy words around me, I swear my nose will start bleeding.”

Donghyuck wracks his brain for something that would translate to Mark’s level of comprehension, “Uh, you’re personal branding?”

“Oh, like IG shit?”

“Yeah, that.”

“I don’t think I have one. I post videos of Yukhei snoring on my IG.”

“Mark Lee, please leave.”

“Can you stop calling me Mark Lee, you sound like my mother.”

“Mark Lee, please leave.”

Mark groans as he steps out of the theater. Donghyuck is about the close the theater door, but Mark Lee’s foot stops him.

“Hey, where do you live?” he asks peeking his head inside again.

“What is it to you, Mark Lee? Are you going to annoy me there as well?”

Mark snickers like a demented hyena. Donghyuck believes that he has not heard something so feral come out of a human body until today.

“You’re funny.”

“I wasn’t being funny.”

“Well, you were.”

“Get to the point Mark Lee.”

“I was just wondering if you wanted a ride home. I have a car.”

Donghyuck is taken by surprise by the invitation. Mark Lee’s reputation really did precede him. Clumsy and genuine to a fault. Donghyuck may have been confused at the beginning, but right now as he stares at Mark’s expectant expression he feels a sense of safety in his warm eyes. As if it was okay to nod and accept.

But.

“And I have legs, Mark Lee. I’ll be fine.”

Mark frowns at the rejection, but nods anyway, “Okay.”

Donghyuck thinks this would be a fitting end to their interaction, however, Mark Lee has other ideas. Instead of allowing Donghyuck to close the door, Mark barges back into the theater, almost causing Donghyuck to fall.

“Before I leave I just wanted to say something.” Mark is staring at Donghyuck’s face intently.

“I care because I just do. This might seem weird coming from a stranger, but I wouldn’t put up with you constantly embarrassing me if I didn’t”

Donghyuck is speechless at how intense Mark Lee is boring into him. His eyes yearning for Donghyuck to just understand.

“I know it sounds odd and I don’t care if it does, but you can talk to me. I’ll listen. I promise.”

Donghyuck decides that denying him another time would not deter his spirit. He doesn’t particularly like being disarmed by Mark Lee.

“I’ll give it a thought.”

The smile Mark sends Donghyuck is gentle and satisfied. It doesn’t bode well with Donghyuck’s constitution.

“Thank you Donghyuck, stay safe while walking home later,” Mark says closing the door behind him.

It seems, at the onset, that Mark Lee has become a nuisance Donghyuck is not prepared to deal with. From the tone of his voice and the hope in his smile. There are too many things that shine too bright about him. Too much that dares to glimmer and catch the light. He asks for too much attention and begs for far too many questions.

He’s not one Donghyuck easily associates with. He’s a spotlight. Tall, stark and intrusive. Donghyuck does not like spotlights. They’re too bright. Too loud. Too much.

He’ll have to find a way around him.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my great comeback into fic writing (i guess?) and it's still not dotae. Bigass lol. However, this is the story of how Mark and Donghyuck get together before the events of White Acrylic. It's been sitting in my drafts for god knows how long, so I just figured it would be easier to work with something that already has something going for it. 
> 
> In any case, I'm still a bit rusty and this is horribly unbetad, so please do ignore some typos and grammatical errors that I might have missed. 
> 
> Please do comment down below what you think of this first chapter. This will really help me find the motivation to actually complete this fic.:
> 
> You may reach me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/doyoungsupreme) or [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/doyoungsupreme).


End file.
